Waxflower plant named &#39;WX 87&#39;

ABSTRACT

‘WX 87’ is a new and distinct waxflower plant (interspecific  Chamelaucium  hybrid) notable for its very late flowering, compact growth habit, and dense terminal cover of large white flowers that age to white with green-yellow hypanthium.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Interspecific Chamelaucium hybrid (Chamelaucium uncinatum×Chamelaucium megalopetalum).

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘WX 87’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘WX 87’ is a new waxflower plant that originated as a seedling produced in a sexual breeding program conducted by the State of Western Australia at its Medina Research Station and at its South Perth nursery and laboratories. ‘WX 87’ was selected from seedlings of a controlled pollination of female parent Chamelaucium uncinatum ‘BP Pale’ (not patented) by male parent C. megalopetalum ‘CM 11.1’ (not patented) at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia, Medina Research Station. An embryo was excised from fruit produced in November 2001 and germinated in vitro. The resulting seedling was subcultured in tissue culture four times, deflasked, hardened and planted in the field at Medina Research Station in July 2002. Following flowering in July 2003, the seedling was vegetatively propagated via cuttings and a second generation of cuttings was taken in 2009. Growth and flowering records of the generations were recorded from 2003 to 2010. No off-types were recorded and all plants were found to be uniform and stable.

‘WX 87’ is distinguishable from its female parent ‘BP Pale’ by a number of features, as described in Table 1 below:

TABLE 1 Characteristic BP Pale WX 87 Flower colour Pale purple to purple White Leaf cross-section Rounded Flattened triangular Flower: attitude of petals Horizontal Semi-erect to erect Flower: colour of Pink-purple Yellow hypanthium

‘WX 87’ is distinguishable from its male parent ‘CM11.1’ by a number of features, as described in Table 2 below:

TABLE 2 Characteristic CM11.1 WX 87 Leaf length Short Medium Plant height Short Medium-tall Flower diameter Large Medium

‘WX 87’ is also distinguishable from other known waxflower varieties. Comparisons of ‘WX 87’ to ‘Ivory Pearl’ (not patented) and ‘WX 74’ (patent pending), the most similar varieties of common knowledge, are set forth in Tables 3 and 4 below:

TABLE 3 Characteristic Ivory Pearl WX 87 Leaf length Long Short Leaf cross-section Round Flattened/triangular Pedicel length Medium to long Short to medium Flower diameter Medium to large Medium

TABLE 4 Characteristic WX 74 WX 87 Leaf length Short to medium Medium Flower: color of hypanthium Yellow-green Yellow Calyx tube furrowing Weak Medium Time of beginning of flowering Medium Medium to late

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

FIG. 1 is a photograph of ‘WX 87’ growing outdoors;

FIG. 2 is a close-up photograph of young flowers of ‘WX 87’;

FIG. 3 is a photograph of ‘WX 87’ flowers;

FIG. 4 is a photograph of a branch, leaves and flowers of ‘WX 87’;

FIG. 5 is a close-up photograph of a flower of ‘WX 87’ from above;

FIG. 6 is a close-up photograph of a flower of ‘WX 87’ from the side;

FIG. 7 is a close-up photograph of a leaf of ‘WX 87’;

FIG. 8 is a close-up photograph of a branch and leaves of ‘WX 87’;

FIG. 9 is a close-up photograph of a young bud of ‘WX 87’; and

FIG. 10 is a close-up photograph of an older bud of ‘WX 87’

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following detailed botanical description is based on observations of ‘WX 87’ waxflower plants growing at Medina Research Station, Medina, Western Australia during August and September 2013 (early spring). All colors are described according to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (2001). It should be understood that the characteristics described will vary somewhat depending upon cultural practices and climatic conditions, and can vary with location and season. Quantified measurements are expressed as an average of measurements taken from a number of individual plants of the new variety. The measurements of any individual plant, or any group of plants, of the new variety may vary from the stated average.

-   Plant:     -   -   Summary.—‘WX 87’ is a very late flowering, compact,             medium-tall bush with dense terminal cover of medium (17 mm)             white flowers that age to white.         -   Growth habit.—Branching upright shrub growing to a height of             1.2 m and a bush diameter of 1.2 m.         -   Flowering stem length.—60 cm. -   Leaves:     -   -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Leaf density.—Main branch, about 6 pairs per 6 cm branch             length; Secondary branch, 9 pairs of leaves, branch 5 cm in             length.         -   Attitude.—Held at about 25 to 30 degree angle to stem.         -   Aroma.—Eucalyptus or citrus aroma when leaves are crushed.         -   Leaf internode length.—Average 16.4 mm on main branch, and             11.1 mm on secondary branch.         -   Leaf size.—Length 11.3 mm, width 1.3 mm.         -   Leaf shape.—Narrowly obovate with acute apex.         -   Leaf surface texture.—Glabrous glandular, leathery, shiny.         -   Leaf margin.—Entire.         -   Leaf base.—Sessile truncate to stem.         -   Leaf cross section.—Triangular with flat upper surface.         -   Leaf color.—New growth, upper and lower surface yellow-green             144B to 144C; mature leaves remain upper and lower surface             green N137B.         -   Leaf division.—Simple. Leaf venation — None visible. -   Flower:     -   -   Flower bud.—Fresh buds, cone shaped with smooth shiny             surface color yellow-green 145B and tip of bud color             orange-red N30; diameter 4.0 mm, length 5.2 mm. Older buds,             more elongated with papery operculum, coarse, surface color             grey-brown N199B to N199C; diameter 4.4 mm, length 7.2 mm.         -   Flowering season.—Late August to September (Medina Research             Station, Medina, Western Australia).         -   Flower longevity.—60 days.         -   Flower quality.—High.         -   Flowering time.—Late to very late.         -   Flower description.—Flowers slightly cupped and petals             separate, elongated rounded in shape, upper and lower             surface are glabrous waxy, entire margin, truncate base and             fused to calyx, rounded apex. Flower color remains constant             as it matures (lower and upper surface same coloration).         -   Petal color.—On day of opening white 155A; When partially             developed, petals remain white; When fully developed petals             remain white NN155B-C.         -   Flower arrangement.—Corymb.         -   Flower type.—Single flower.         -   Flowering habit.—Terminal, panicle florescence.         -   Flower shape.—Cup-shaped.         -   Flower diameter.—Average 17.2 mm; depth 11.5 mm (top of             stigma to bottom of ovary).         -   Flowering branch angle.—Small.         -   Flowering attitude of petals on day of opening.—Semi erect.         -   Flowering branch angle 2 weeks after opening.—Small.         -   Length of sepal in relation to length of petal.—Less than             one-third.         -   Petiole (pedicle) length.—Long 14.7 mm, aspect 25 degrees to             35 degrees.         -   Hypanthium shape.—Obconical.         -   Hypanthium diameter.—Medium, 7.0 mm.         -   Hypanthium main color at middle part on day of opening of             flower.—Green yellow 1A; 4 weeks after opening of flower             green-yellow 1B.         -   Nectaries.—About 6 mm in diameter, color see hypanthium.         -   Flower petals.—5, round shape; fused sepals at base to             hypanthium, with rounded outer separate lobes arranged             alternately between petals; tube portion fluted; fused             sepals, white 155A; lobed sepals; new petals white 155A,             remaining white NN155B-C as the petals age.         -   Petal shape.—Slightly cupped and undulation of margins weak.         -   Petal texture.—Waxy, glabrous.         -   Petal dimensions.—Similar width (6.7 mm) to length (6.9 mm).         -   Stamen collar.—Color at opening of flower white 155A.         -   Stamen collar 10 to 14 days after opening of flower.—Color             white 155A.         -   Gynoecium.—1 pistil, stigma bearded, color yellow-orange 14D             with style white 155A,; length 7.4 mm.         -   Androcoecium.—About 10 fertile stamens with 10 infertile             staminodes arranged alternatively on a collar adnate to             junction of petals and calyx; filament length 1.8 mm, color             white 155A aging to white NN155B-C; staminode length 1.8 mm,             color white 155A; anthers length about 0.8 mm, color             greyed-orange 166B; pollen is sterile.         -   Disease resistance.—Moderate to high. 

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct waxflower plant substantially as shown and described herein. 